MSN lists things to do in Baltimore

So, the travel writers at Microsoft News have compiled a list of “10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do in Baltimore” and it’s actually more comprehensive than I was expecting while also being relatively safe.

The first item on the list is The Book Thing of Baltimore, which I vaguely remember hearing about them closing a few years ago but was unaware they reopened… for one day per month (second Saturday of every month). All books are donated and available for free, as such visitors are strongly discouraged from reselling or re-donating them (unless it’s to a library).

Their store at 3001 Vineland Lane is directly across from the Charles Village Goodwill (3101 Greenmount Ave) and only a few blocks to Guardian Angel (335 W 27^th St) and Get Shredded Vintage (411 W 29^th St) thrift stores. All three are open on Saturdays, plus you pass directly by their FOURTH suggestion The Papermoon Diner (227 W 27^th St) so if you like thrifting then you can make an entire day of it if you want.

In case you’re wondering, the THIRD item on their list is “Graffiti Alley,” while theoretically on the way to the stores listed above, is EXACTLY what it sounds like – an alleyway covered in graffiti. It’s good for a single Instagram selfie of you pretending to be all “hardcore” and whatnot, but not worth going ten blocks out of your way to do.

They correctly mention AVAM as a “must-do” attraction, this story specifically mentions the Kinetic Sculpture Race in May as a “quirky Baltimore attraction.” I agree with them on both counts, but I’m disappointed they didn’t mention the museum’s equally “quirky” Sideshow museum store which takes far longer than 15 minutes to browse through.

Their #7 pick is the National Dentistry Museum (31 S Green St). If you want a smaller museum try either the Baltimore Streetcar Museum (1901 Falls Rd) or Baltimore Civil War Museum (601 Old President St) conveniently located directly behind the Baltimore Public Works Museum (751 Eastern Ave, also open second Saturdays of the month). The former option is across the bridge from the MICA/Mt Royal light rail station ($2 per person each way), while the latter two are on the same free Circulator route as the dental museum.

The last item on the list is Fleet Week & Flyover Baltimore which involves various ships pulling into Inner Harbor/Fells Point for a weekend of ship tours, military displays, food vendors and, of course, the namesake flyover. It gets more than a little crowded there, but the influx of visitors brings some much needed life to the usually barren Inner Harbor.